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Tools and Field Equipment > CHEAP way to make a cordless starter.
 
 
Dave_D
Key Veteran
Location: Philippines

After toying with the idea making my own heavy duty cordless starter. I decided against buying the KSJ battery holders because it's not available locally and buying it from overseas is kinda silly since I will pay more for shipping than the actual part.

So I went to the local Radio Shack and bought a small plastic box that will fit the car packs.



I then fitted some leads used in speakers.



I then fitted it to a Heavy duty TT starter.



The beauty of it is I can easily charge the packs individually buy using the same field charger without unplugging any of the existing leads to the electric motor. PLUS, the whole unit fits the original KSJ field box I use.



Best of all, all the parts cost me only $3 tops except for the car battery packs.
06-06-2002 Over year old.
 
 
Raymond
Senior Heliman
Location: Northern Ireland

luvly

Thats a great idea well thought out and designed

BUT...

My gel cell is smaller, higher capacity, and cheaper than car packs !!

Sorry to be negative but it had to be said
06-06-2002 Over year old.
 
 
driftrider
Veteran
Location: Cedar Rapids, IA. (In my own little world)

Quote 
My gel cell is smaller, higher capacity, and cheaper than car packs !!


True, but it can't dump its power as fast. The starter on a 12-14 cell NiCd will provide more cranking amps to the starter.

It's a Tim "The Toolman" Taylor thing.

Mike
06-06-2002 Over year old.
 
 
Raymond
Senior Heliman
Location: Northern Ireland

True, very true...

BUT

What happens when your engine is hydraulically locked ? My gelcel powered starter will just not turn it, yours might just wreck it

Sorry, I'm in a very negative mood tonite
06-06-2002 Over year old.
 
 
ncostes
Veteran
Location: US

I bought a 12v gel cell, and went the power panel in the tote box route (along with glow plug adapter powered by the power panel). Now I see why people like the small cordless glow igniters and cordless starters...

It is annoying to start the chopper (untangle the glow plug connector and starter cables), disconnect the glow plug connector, set the start down, move the chopper away from the tote box, set it down, only to have the engine die.

Now pick up the chopper, back to the tote box, hook everything back up (untangle the cables first)

The training gear really help get the cables tangled

I think I will pick up a small nicad glowstarter and either make this kit or buy a set of battery holders for the starter.

Nice job!
06-07-2002 Over year old.
 
 
Safe_Cracker
Key Veteran
Location: Chicago, IL

HYDRO LOCK.

YOU KNOW TO TRY AND START A HYDRO LOCKED ENGINE CAN KILL YOUR 1 WAY BEARING ALSO DAMAGE THE ENGINE.
06-07-2002 Over year old.
 
 
smudge
Senior Heliman
Location: Wiltshire, UK

cheap starter

I have said this before, and will say it again.....

A cordless drill is cheaper, lighter, more torque, you can control the speed and torque, the battery lasts longer. I need to charge it about every 2-3 weeks.

14.4V drill from Argos - less than 20Pounds.

Also Mrs Smith thinks that you are buying it to put up some shelves.

ok I'm off the soap box now.


.
06-07-2002 Over year old.
 
 
PHI flyer
Senior Heliman
Location: Bowie, Maryland

I tried the 14.4v cordless drill on my 60 and it turns the engine OK, just not fast enough for it to fire up. It will start the 30 engine OK.
06-07-2002 Over year old.
 
 
blvdbuzzard
Senior Heliman
Location: Southern Calif.

I just used two 1400mah packs from the hobby shop and then used tie wraps to hold it to the starter. The two packs cost $10.00 each, two tie wraps.05 and some black electrical tape and I was in bussiness. It has lasted for two years now. I had been using the flight box with a small lead acid battery for twenty years. The first time I used the cordless starter I was sold.

I soldered two small pieces of brass tubing to the ends of the nicads to power the glow plug. The plug I am using is the one that is suppose to plug into the power panel. It now plugs into the single nicad. I keep a couple charged so when it gets low I can just switch the battery's.

Dru.
06-08-2002 Over year old.
 
 
ncostes
Veteran
Location: US

Buzzard
are you saying you run your glow plug off of one of the 7.2 v nicad batteries?

Do you have a photo of your setup?
06-16-2002 Over year old.
 
 
blvdbuzzard
Senior Heliman
Location: Southern Calif.

I use one (1) cell with brass tubing solidered on so the banana clips that are on the glow plug clip fit inside. I made up several batteries with the brass tubing so I never run out of power at the field.

I got tierd of the lead acid batteries in my flight box so I set up two 6 cell Nicad packs in series and two in parallel to power the flight box. I just charge the four pack set on a Hitec peak charger and it last for a four day camping/flying weekend.

Sorry I can not get any pictures because some SOB broke into my truck and stole my digital camera and a bunch of other stuff.

Dru.
06-17-2002 Over year old.
 
 
ncostes
Veteran
Location: US

Ok thx.
06-17-2002 Over year old.
 
 
edg
Senior Heliman
Location: San Francisco, CA

Can't start a .60 with a cordless drill ??!!

I've used both a Craftsman and Dewalt 14.4V drills. No problems at all starting my .60's, .50's or .30's. In fact, with the DeWalt, I've never even used the highest of the 3 speed settings. For the .60's I use mid-speed, for the .30's lowest speed is fine. The .50 I'll usually start mid-speed and when warmed up low-speed.

The only downside I find with the drills is that at the higher speed, since they're set in reverse to start an engine, the chuck tends to loosen up on the shaft.

I highly recommend the DeWalt. No need to go to 18V (heavier, bulkier). Even 12V might be OK.

-edg-
06-22-2002 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
jwhitt24
Heliman
Location: Salt Lake City, UT

I cant see the pics on the first post. Is there a upload problem.

Thanks
Jeremy
06-22-2002 Over year old.
 
 
Dave_D
Key Veteran
Location: Philippines

oops... moved the pics from the wrong directory on my webserver. Should work now.
06-22-2002 Over year old.
 
 
smudge
Senior Heliman
Location: Wiltshire, UK

hello edg

I agree with you edg,

You can post these advantages as much as you like, but people still assume that you HAVE to use the $200, 50amp, 20Kg, Monster-Dyno-Torque starter to start our engines, because that's what it says on the box.
Tell that to the aeroplane guys who start their engines with a sinlge flick of a chicken stick.

My 0s 30 will start with just ONE, slow, revolution of my $20 cordless drill.


.
06-23-2002 Over year old.
 
 
edg
Senior Heliman
Location: San Francisco, CA

hey smudge

Yeah, really once the fuel gets into the carb it just takes a small blip of the drill to start the engine. Plus there's simply the big advantage of also having a drill at the field in case some holes are needed...

Like I said, the only problem I've had is with the drill chuck loosening up on the hex shaft after spinning the motor up at higher speed settings on the drill. Do you get that too? Both the Dewalt and Craftsman drills exhibit the problem. And, no, filing a flat on the shaft isn't the problem. It just seems that the CCW rotation for engine strarts will loosen it up irregardless of shaft shape.

-edg-
06-24-2002 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
Dave_D
Key Veteran
Location: Philippines

I do appreciate your inputs on the cordless drill suggestion, but maybe it's time to start a new thread on this doncha think?
06-24-2002 Over year old.
 
 
GiZZeRR
Heliman
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland UK

Used the cordless drill on my TT.70 EK4 truck engine for months now with no problems. No way am I going to buy an aircraft type starter and battery just because I'm starting in heli's. I'll keep using the drill. Maybe I'll get some funny looks from the guys at the local club the first time I use it but who cares
07-14-2002 Over year old.
 
 
helicrash333
Heliman
Location: Vestal NY

I get the laughs with mine

I wanted to go cordless as well but didn't think the drill was fast enough. I had allready 3 cordless drills and flash light kits from dewalt and makita. I took the makita flash light and cut it in half so I could plug the 14.4 pack into it, then cut the cord short on the starter and soldered it to the flash light terminals and electrical taped the whole rig to the starter. It starts 60's just fine and only needs charging every week or so. It looks ugly but works for me, maybe someday I will try to make it look a little better.

joe
08-18-2002 Over year old.
 
 
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